Automatic switch.



H. H. PALMER.- AUTOMATIC swncH.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC.'30. 1916.

IN |Mwnw TTORNEYS H. H. PALMER,

AUTMATIC SWITCH, APPLKCATION FILED 050.30, 1916.

Patented Aug.. 31, 19W/ 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED umso. 191e.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

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ATTORNEYS entraran sraras ramener carrer.

HERMANHARDFORD IEALIVIIIJR,` OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATIC. SWITCH. i

` A* To all 'whom z'may concern:

" i Switch, of"which the following "Be it known thatL'HnnMAN LH. Piumini, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of'Cl'iarlestmninthe ycounty of Charleston 'and State of South Carolina, have invented 'a new and Improved Automatic is a full,

clear, and exact description.

i My invention relates to means to automatically operate the'switches `on railways'including street railways and particularly re- "lates to that type of switches adapted to be operated automatically by' trips provided on a" car or locomotive andv arranged to depress switch-operating plungers inthe tracks at the sides.

The prime object of the invention is to provide a novel ineansy for locking` the switch in any positio'nto which itjhasbeen thrown. A further object of the invention 1s to provide an automatic switch improved-m various particulars with a view to promote reliability' of operation and durability.

The invention will be particularly eX- plained in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying` drawings forming a part of this specification in which 'similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views. i

Figure 1 is aplan view ofa switch embodying my invention;

"Fig, 2 is a transverse vertical section' on the line 2 2, Fig'. '1, 'on an enlarged scale; Figz 3 is a partial'plan view on an enlarged scale, parts being in section; f f

fFig. 4 is adetail longitudinal verticalysection. 40.

" yMy invention is illustrated in connection `with a main track a, a side track l), and

switch rails c, all of knownform. Arranged in the track are plungers 'designated respectively, 10, 10210?, 10C. These plungers are disposed at "the" sides of the track in line to be engaged by the trips on the car These boxes are arranged Aswitch rails c and*v one extending beneath the'main and side tracks distant from the opposite end of the switch.

y The plungers are adapted to impart movement to rock shafts'arranged transversely Specification of Letters Patent. i `Ef'gqjplrb@d Aug, 21, A1917. y Applicate-animaDecembersaiele. smania.139,797'.k p

of the track in the boxes 11, 11a, one of. Y

said shafts 13 being' shown' in Figs. 3 land 4. The plungers arey formed withvertical slots 12 whereby to straddle the shafts. The plungers are connected respectivelywith the adjacent shaft as at 13 to rock the same, this being effectedl by rocker arms 14 on the said shafts, the outer ends. of the said arms being suitably connected with the plunger to permit vertical movement thereof'. 'In the example shown pins connecting the bars or rocker arms 14 pass through the plungers and through slots `16 in the rocker arms 1st.A Y

It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the rocker arms 1i` are disposed on the shaft 13 in the b'ox 11 at opposite sides of the shaft so that a depression of the plunger 10 for example will rock the shaft in the opposite direction from a depression of the plunger 10a and it is toI be understood that the shaft inthe box 11@L is similarly Vrocked by the plungers 10b, 10c.

On the shaft 13, (see Figs. 3 and el), there are also provided'rocker arms 17 at the opposite ends of the shaft, said rocker arms being oppositely disposed so as to be rocked vertically in opposite directions'by the rocking of the shaft. The rocker arms 17 are pivotally connected to the'lower ends of connectingrods 18, the upper end of each ofwhich is connected with one arm of a bellcrank lever 19, the other arms of which arepivotally connected with operating` rods or equivalent elements 20 which are run longitudinally of theitrack at each.

at 25y with a link 26, the opposite end of said link being connected as at 27 with the switch bar 21.

Connected with the switch bar 21 at cpposite ends also at the 'pivots 27 are locking bars k28, 29 which extend outward laterally, one of said *clocking barsjasv28 being opera tively connected with a signal 30 at one side of the track; The signall 31 at theopposite side maybe connected by a link32 with the adjacent'. rod 20; `n'1`he1locking bars 28,- 29 are moved in transverse slots 35 linlblocks 33 having base flanges': or the like to se` cure ythe same to the track bed. The blocksy 33H are Y also u formed with longitudinal throughbores 36 :intersecting the slots `35,

d motiveor car approaching the switch fromv main track or totake the side track.y This is so because the. depressionof a plunger c mentof the switch is required. Again, if

. rails as in Fig. 1 if they are not already so- 10 or lOawill'throw the switch in the proper direction. For eXamplea Adepression of the plunger 10a will throw the switch frails'from the position shown in Eig. 1 to permit the `locomotiveor car to continue on the ymain track. f It, on the other hand, the switch rails care in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the car approaching from the letfdesires toltake the side track Z2 then no move-y theswitch rails c are positioned to close the n side track and rcontinue the main track open,

and yit is desired to throw the switch to the position shown in Fig.p1, then the plunger 10 will be depressed. Assuming a train is coming from Vthe right of Fig.y 1 on the` main track, a depression of the plunger 10bvwill Vthrow the( switch rails from the yposition shown in Fig. 1 to open the mainltrack. On the other hand, if al car on thev side'track Z2 is approaching thevv switch and the switch rails are as in Fig. 1, lno depression of the plunger 10c will vbe necessary butk the depression of said plunger will position the switch y positioned. The depression of any plunger willmove the rods 20 longitudinally in opposite directions. n y c y The locking bars 28, 29 are formed with holes 38 to receive. the latch bolts l 37 and these holes Vare either oblong. or of suiicient size tofpermit a relative movement of the locking bars and latch bolts when the bolts are in the said holes, so that there may ybe a slight movement of a locking bar while the latch bolt extendsthrough the same. Comparingl the latch bolts 37 at the 'top and bottom of Fig.l 8, the one is in locked engagefln'ent while, the` other iS.. diseases@ from 'the other locking The latch bolts 37 Vat' theap'roper time relatively to the movement of the bolts 37 so that the switch will be released, then thrown, and then'locked.

1t will be 'readily understood that the f plungers'niay be operated by any suitable means and alsothat theswitch, like other switches, may be'thrown by hand through the medium of the switch4 stand orv signal stand'when the latter is unlocked'by a key as is customary with many formsv of switches.

, Having thus described my invention 1' claim as new, and Vdesiretov secure by Letters Patent: Y g i 1. 1n a railway switch, switch rails, verticallyl movable plungers 'at' eac'hiside of the track beyond both ends ofthe switch rails, shafts supported vinl the track bedy and each ranging across a pair of plungers, connections between the plungersof a pair andthe adjacent shaft at `opposite' sides of the said shaft to rock the latter in either direction 'by' the depression of one plunger or the other, vertically movable elements connected respectively at l their lower endsV with each shaft at opposite lsidesv thereof to move in opposite directions with the rocking of the shaft in either direction, longitudinally ranging switch-actuating means at the sides of the track, and connections between Vsaid actuating means and the switch rails.

' 2. In a railway switch, switch rails, plungersarranged at each side of the trackbey yond the ends of the switch rails, a switch bar disposed transversely `of the switch rails and connected therewith to throw the same, transversely disposedl'ocking bars connected with the respective ends of the switch. bar and extending outwardly therefrom, longitudinally ranging rods connectedat one end withfthe respective locking bars, ymeans for moving said rods in opposite ,directions by the depression of either of saidA plungers,

latch bolts disposedlongitudinally o1y the -track and connected with 'the' said lrods to movetherewith and engage orcdisengage the said locking bars, links connected at one end with said rods to move therewith,'bellcrank levers connected with the oppositev ends of said links, and connections between the opposite ends of the bellcrank levers and the switch bar.

3. In a railway switch, switch rails, plungers arranged at each side of the ytrack beyond the ends of the switch rails, a switch barv disposed t'ran'sversely'of the switch rails and connected therewith'to throw the same, transversely disposed vlockingbars connected at their innern ends with the opposite ends of the switch bai', longitudinal rods at the sides of the track, lneans to throw the switch bai1 and looking bars by the movements of said rods, means to move the rods in opposite directions by the depression of either of the plungeis, blocks adjacent to the outer end of each locking bar, the blocks having transverse openings through which said bars move and having bores intersecting the said transverse openings, and latch bolts movable longitudinally with the said rods in the said bores of the blocks, the looking bars having` holes through which the said late h bolts may pass.

HERMAN HARDFORD PALMER Copies of this patent maybe obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, LD. C. 

